Filling devices

ABSTRACT

A device for filling liquid from a supply into a container in which the device has a liquid receiving chamber which can be put into communication with an outlet nozzle. The outlet nozzle has two relatively axial movable parts which co-operate to close the nozzle save for a capillary passage until it is desired to discharge the contents of the chamber.

United States Patent Lansdale Apr. 1, 1975 FILLING DEVICES 2,210,9718/1940 Bronson 137/312 x 3,097,671 7 1963 Bonettiet al. 141/116 [751Invent Lansdale' England 3,351,250 11/1967 West 141/117 x [73] A iMather & p n Limited, 3,580,302 5/1971 Rlesenberg 141/146 X ManchesterEngland FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1' Flledr p 1973 714,410 7/1965Canada ..141/117 [21] Appl. No.: 347,763 I Primary Examiner-Richard E.Aegerter Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Schmidt [30] ForelgnApphatlonfnomy Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion,

Apr. 5, 1972 Umted Kingdom 15675/72 Zinn & Macpeak [52] US. Cl 141/116,141/142, 222/108,

239/ l 20 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B65b 3/04, B05d l/28 [58] Field ofSearch 137/312 625 A device for filling l1qu1d from a supply mto a con-1 41 123 tainer in which the device has a liquid receiving cham- IO, bfcan b put 11110 communication an out- 1 239/l20 let nozzle. The outletnozzle has two relatively axial movable parts which co-operate to closethe nozzle [56] References Cited save for a capillary passage until itis desired to dis- UNITED STATES PATENTS charge the contents of thechamber.

2,107,987 2/1938 Johnson 141/116 X 11 Claims, 11 Drawing FiguresPATENTEU APR 1 SHEEI 1 BF 3 PATENTEDAPR 5 3.874.480 sum 3 of 3 FILLINGDEVICES This invention relates to a filling deviceusedto transfer aliquid or semi-solid (hereinafter-supply referred to as a liquid) fromasupply tank tocontainers to be filled, and to apparatusincorporating-such.filling devices. M g

According to the present inventionthere is provided a filling devicecomprising a liquid-receiving chamber in which is reciprocable aliquid-ejecting piston, and an outlet nozzle from the chamber andconstituted by inner and outer nozzle parts relatively movable to permitand prevent outflow from the nozzle, a capillary passage being formed inthe terminal end of the inner nozzle part such that with the nozzleclosed and the piston moving back through the chamber any liquid dropsat the end of the nozzle are sucked back into the nozzle through thecapillary passage.

The inner nozzle part upstream of its terminal end is preferablyformed-with an angularly-spaced series of slots through which liquid canpass from the chamber with a laminar flow under the action of thepiston.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by wayofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of an apparatus incorporating fillingdevices according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a. perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 from anotherside and to a'smaller scale;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are sectional views of a filling device at various stagesof its operation;

' FIG. 7 is a'fragmentary sectional view showing the nozzle outlet ofFIG. to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a valve member of the filling device;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are respectively diagrammatic plan and perspective viewsof the means for opening the filling device to fill a container; and,

FIG. I I is a scrap view showing the means for closing the fillingdevice after completion of the filling operation.

The apparatus comprises a receptacle for holding the liquid to be filledinto containers, such as cans, the receptacle 20 being rotated as shownin FIG. 3 by any convenient drive known to those skilled in the art. Aseries of equi-angularly spaced filling devices 21 are mounted on thereceptacle 20 for rotation therewith, these devices being cam operatedas will be described later.

Containers 22 to be filled are delivered, in known manner, in timedrelationship to the angular speed of the receptacle 20 and operation ofthe filling devices 21 by an inlet conveyor 23, a worm conveyor 24, afirst rotary star wheel 25. a second and main rotary star wheel 26rotatable with the receptacle 20 and an outlet conveyor 27. The variousconveyors and star wheels have side guide bars such as 28. The conveyorsmay be of any convenient form known to those skilled in the art as canthe drive or drives for the various conveyors and star wheels.

The filling devices 21 are operated by a stationary annular cam assembly29 surrounding the receptacle 20 and adjustably mounted on an annularframe member 30 carried on the apparatus by screw posts3l. .The annularcam assembly 29 is-pivotally mounted on the annular frame member 30 asindicated at 32, and at the other side of the apparatus it is connectedto the annular frame member by a screw post 33 having a spoked handle 34and locking nut 35. Thus the vertical disposition of the annular camassembly 29 can be varied by relatively adjusting the annular framemember 30 and posts 31 while the inclined disposition of the annular camassembly 29 can be varied relative to the annular frame member 30 byadjusting the screw post 33. It will be clear from the followingdescription that the cam assembly inclination determines the amount ofliquid received in each filling device.

The annular cam assembly 29 comprises a bottom ring member 36 and at itsdownwardly inclined length an additionaltop arcuate member 37.

The filling devices 21 are also operated on by an opening orliquid-ejecting arrangement 38 (FIGS. 9 and 10) and a closingarrangement 39 (FIG. 11) which will be described later. The openingarrangement 38 operates at top dead centre (TDC) of the annular camassembly 29 while the closing arrangement 39 operates shortly afterbottom dead centre (BDC).

Each filling device 21 comprises a cylinder 40 within which is disposeda piston 41 having at its top a roller 42 which runs on the bottom camring 36 so that the piston 41 is reciprocatcd within the cylinder 40.The top, arcuate cam member 37 ensures that the roller 42 is maintainedon cam ring 36 during downward movement of the piston 41.

The cylinder 40 is formed with an internal wall 43 intermediate its endsand a diametral bore is provided between this wall 43 and the closed end44 of the cylinder 40. The piston chamber is above the internal wall.

The internal wall 43 is formed with two ports, namely an inlet port 45and an outlet port 46. The closed end 44 of the cylinder 40 is formedwith an outlet port 47 in alignment with the outlet port 46 of theinternal wall 43.

- A rotatable plug or valve member 48 is housed in the bore and isoperated as will be described later by the opening and closingarrangements 38 and 39. The plug 48 has two passages disposed generallyat right angles to each other. One passage 49 (the outlet passage) whichis diametral serves to put the two outlet ports 46 and 47 incommunication in one position of the plug 48. The other passage 50 (theinlet passage) extends between an end of the plug 48 and thecircumference of the plug 48 at a location remote from said end and, inanother position of the plug, places the inlet port 45 in communicationwith the cylinder exterior. This inlet passage 50 is in directcommunication with an outlet 51 of the receptacle 20 for the liquid tobe filled into containers.

The plug 48 mounts at its receptacle-remote end an arm 52 carrying aroller 53 which cooperates with the opening and closing arrangements 38and 39.

An outlet nozzle 54 is in communication with the outlet port 47 at thecylinder closed end 44 and comprises an inner tube 55 surrounded by asleeve 56 having an apertured end wall 57 through which the tube 55passes and its other end wall being apertured as at 58 to permit liquidegress.

The tube 55 has an external peripheral collar 59 and a spring 60 isinterposed between the collar 59 and end wall 57 of the sleeve 56.

A sealing ring 61 is provided at the spring-remote side of the coller59.

The sleeve 56 is movable along the tube 55.

The tube. 55 has its terminal end, which is recessed, closed save for anaxial capillary passage 62. Upstream of the terminal end, the tube wallis formed with an angular series of slots 63 forming outlets.

The terminal wall of the tube 55 co-operates with the outlet end of thesleeve 56, to close the nozzle save for the capillary passage 62 (seeFIG. 4).

It will be manifest that the reciprocation of the piston 41 and rotationof the plug 48 are synchronised.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 and 10. When a container 22 is beingmoved by the star wheel 26 it strikes a lever 64 pivoted at 65 and thislever 64 via a linkage 66 operates a valve 67 which allows a compressedairflow to a double-acting piston-and-cylinder device 68 to extend thepiston rod 69 outwardly. This movement places a roller 70 carried by therod 69 in the path of the roller 53 of the next-approaching fillingdevice 21. This roller 70 causes the roller 53 to enter a track 71defined by two bars 72 thus rotating the plug 48 from the position shownin FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIGS. and 7. The container is thusfilled, which filling operation occurs over the are 73 (see FIG.

As the container 22 passes the lever 64, the latter is spring-urged backto permit an airflow causing retraction of the rod 69 and roller 70.

If the lever 64 is not pivoted, i.e., no container, then the roller 53merely runs along the top of the top bar 72 and the plug 48 is notrotated. i.e., no container, no filling. This, of course, preventswaste.

At the end of the are 73 is the closing arrangement 39 which merelyconsists of a curved bottom bar 74 and a straight top bar 75 so thatwhen the roller 53 contacts the curved bottom bar 74, the lever 52 ispivoted to its vertical disposition thus allowing the plug 48 to rotatefrom the position FIGS. 5 and 7 to the position in FIG. 4.

Referring now to the filling device 21, as the piston 41 rises liquid issucked into the cylinder via the plug inlet passage (FIG. 4). At topdead centre TDC the plug 48 is rotated as aforesaid to close the inletpassage 50 and place the outlet passage 49 in communication with the twooutlet ports 46 and 47. On descent of the piston 41 the liquid is forcedinto the nozzle 54 and the liquid pressure compresses the spring whichcauses the sleeve 56 to move axially away from the tube 55 thus openingthe nozzle (FIGS. 5 and 7). The slotted ports 63 in the tube 55 allowlaminar flow of the liquid out of the nozzle 54.

At bottom dead centre BDC, the liquid pressure drops and the spring 55acts to close the nozzle 54 save for the capillary passage 62. As thepiston 41 reascends (FIG. 6) any drops of liquid on the nozzle 54 aresucked inwardly through the capillary passage 62. With the piston 41past bottom dead centre BDC and any drops removed, the plug 48 isrotated as aforesaid to close the nozzle inlet and permit filling of thecylinder 4].

Surface tension prevents leakage through the capillary passage 62 atthis time.

What is claimed is:

l. A container filling device comprising:

a. a chamber having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet,

b. a piston reciprocable within the chamber to suck liquid into thechamber in one direction of piston 4 movement and to expel liquid fromthe chamber in the opposite direction of piston movement, and

c. a nozzle assembly in communication with the chamber outlet, andcomprising:

- i. an inner tubular member in communication with thechamber outlet,said member having an outlet end formed with a capillary passage, andaperture means for liquid egress upstream of the capillary passage,

ii. an outer tubular member coaxial with the inner tubular member andaxially movable away therefrom under liquid pressure produced by themovement of the piston in said opposite direction, and

iii. resilient means between the inner and outer tubular members forurging the outer tubular member axially towards the inner tubular memberto a position whereat it cooperates with the inner tubular member toseal off liquid flow from the aperture means, whereby when the pistonreverses its stroke from said opposite direction to said one directionthe liquid pressure ceases, the resilient means causes liquid flow fromthe aperture means to be sealed off, and any liquid remaining at theoutlet end of the inner tubular.

member is thereafter sucked in through the capillary passage to preventdripping.

2. A container filling device according to claim 1 in which the innertubular member has an external peripheral collar and the outer tubularmember has an apertured end wall, the resilient means comprising aspring disposed between the collar and the end wall.

3. A container filling device according .to claim 2, in which the outletends of the inner and outer tubular members have complementary inwardlyinclined surfaces urged together by the spring to seal'off liquid flowfrom the aperture means.

4. A container filling device according to claim 1, in which theaperture means in the inner member comprises circumferentially-spacedslots through which liquid can pass from the chamber with a laminar flowunder the action of the piston.

5. A container filling device according to claim 1, further comprisingvalve means disposed between the liquid-receiving chamber and the nozzleassembly, and actuating means for operating the valve means alternatelyto permit inflow of liquid to the chamber and outflow of liquid from thechamber into the nozzle assembly.

6. A container filling device according to claim 5, further comprising adivision wall across the chamber between its ends and provided with aninlet port and an outlet port, the bottom wall of the chamber having anoutlet port aligned with the first-mentioned outlet port, and the valvemeans comprising a rotatable plug between the division and bottom wallsand formed with two passages such that, in one position of the plug, theinlet port is placed in communication with an inlet port in theperipheral wall of the chamber while, in another position of the plug,the two outlet ports are placed in communication.

7. Apparatus including a receptacle for holding liquid to be filled intocontainers, and a plurality of container filling devices according'toclaim 6 mounted on the receptacle periphery, each with its peripheralwall inlet port in register with a port in the receptacle periphery.

arm is moved into its track by a roller disposed in its path by acontainer-actuated piston so that each filling device only operates tofill when a container is present.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a second trackengageable by the plug arm and arranged to rotate the plug back to itsinitial position after completion of filling.

1. A container filling device comprising: a. a chamber having a liquidinlet and a liquid outlet, b. a piston reciprocable within the chamberto suck liquid into the chamber in one direction of piston movement andto expel liquid from the chamber in the opposite direction of pistonmovement, and c. a nozzle assembly in communication with the chamberoutlet, and comprising: i. an inner tubular member in communication withthe chamber outlet, said member having an outlet end formed with acapillary passage, and aperture means for liquid egress upstream of thecapillary passage, ii. an outer tubular member coaxial with the innertubular member and axially movable away therefrom under liquid pressureproduced by the movement of the piston in said opposite direction, andiii. resilient means between the inner and outer tubular members forurging the outer tubular member axially towards the inner tubular memberto a position whereat it cooperates with the inner tubular member toseal off liquid flow from the aperture means, whereby when the pistonreverses its stroke from said opposite direction to said one directionthe liquid pressure ceases, the resilient means causeS liquid flow fromthe aperture means to be sealed off, and any liquid remaining at theoutlet end of the inner tubular member is thereafter sucked in throughthe capillary passage to prevent dripping.
 2. A container filling deviceaccording to claim 1 in which the inner tubular member has an externalperipheral collar and the outer tubular member has an apertured endwall, the resilient means comprising a spring disposed between thecollar and the end wall.
 3. A container filling device according toclaim 2, in which the outlet ends of the inner and outer tubular membershave complementary inwardly inclined surfaces urged together by thespring to seal off liquid flow from the aperture means.
 4. A containerfilling device according to claim 1, in which the aperture means in theinner member comprises circumferentially-spaced slots through whichliquid can pass from the chamber with a laminar flow under the action ofthe piston.
 5. A container filling device according to claim 1, furthercomprising valve means disposed between the liquid-receiving chamber andthe nozzle assembly, and actuating means for operating the valve meansalternately to permit inflow of liquid to the chamber and outflow ofliquid from the chamber into the nozzle assembly.
 6. A container fillingdevice according to claim 5, further comprising a division wall acrossthe chamber between its ends and provided with an inlet port and anoutlet port, the bottom wall of the chamber having an outlet portaligned with the first-mentioned outlet port, and the valve meanscomprising a rotatable plug between the division and bottom walls andformed with two passages such that, in one position of the plug, theinlet port is placed in communication with an inlet port in theperipheral wall of the chamber while, in another position of the plug,the two outlet ports are placed in communication.
 7. Apparatus includinga receptacle for holding liquid to be filled into containers, and aplurality of container filling devices according to claim 6 mounted onthe receptacle periphery, each with its peripheral wall inlet port inregister with a port in the receptacle periphery.
 8. Apparatus accordingto claim 7 comprising means for rotating the receptacle and fillingdevices as a unit, and a stationary annular cam assembly surrounding thereceptacle and above the filling devices for acting on the pistons ofthe filling devices to reciprocate them.
 9. Apparatus according to claim8, in which each rotatable plug has an arm caused to pivot and rotatethe plug by engaging in a track.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, inwhich the plug arm is moved into its track by a roller disposed in itspath by a container-actuated piston so that each filling device onlyoperates to fill when a container is present.
 11. Apparatus according toclaim 10, further comprising a second track engageable by the plug armand arranged to rotate the plug back to its initial position aftercompletion of filling.